The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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The LEP Framework paper provides a comprehensive overview of a suite of climate and labor policies, supported by the AFL-CIO and EFI, that will accelerate America’s transition to a low carbon economy while preserving and creating access to high quality jobs. The paper provides a summary of the importance of each initiative from a climate perspective and the jobs’ benefit it will provide American communities.
The framework identifies 10 key areas necessary for creating new jobs and advancing social equity in a deeply decarbonized economy:
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1. A national action plan for the deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration technology;
In an era of accelerating change, the need to create energy systems that guarantee a secure and affordable energy supply globally while protecting the environment is strengthening the momentum for a global energy transformation. That transformation involves moving away from fossil fuels towards renewable sources of energy, supported by increased efficiency and the reduction of total overall energy consumption. Bioenergy will have essential roles in all sectors in this energy transformation and in building a climate-friendly circular carbon economy that delivers economic and social benefits.
Bioenergy is the largest source of renewable energy in use today, globally accounting for 70% …
View Full ResourcePolicymakers seeking to cut emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels are increasingly examining energy use within buildings, which account for nearly 40% of carbon emissions globally. One of the largest drivers of these emissions is the burning of fossil fuels like gas for home heating, hot water, and cooking. In 2018, carbon emissions from U.S. buildings increased 10% due to growth in these uses alone.
Gas utilities, which rely on maintaining and expanding fuel delivery infrastructure to buildings to generate revenue, view electrification as an existential crisis. The industry’s response has been to pitch fossil gas alternatives (“FGAs”) – …
View Full ResourceTo meet the imperative of curbing climate change and restoring clean and healthy air to our communities, it is critical that policymakers act to eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector. In the United States, fossil fuels burned in residential and commercial buildings account for at least 600 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per year—and far more when methane leakage is considered. Utilities, their regulators, and state policymakers together have an opportunity to eliminate these emissions and transform American homes and businesses to run on clean energy.
The old model of utility regulation is not conducive …
View Full ResourceImproving energy, water, and waste efficiency is critical for our buildings, homes, and manufacturing plants. These are the places we live, learn, and work. Enabling American businesses and families to reduce their energy costs without compromising occupant comfort and needs is an enormous opportunity. Enhancing the resilience of our buildings to withstand extreme events and disasters, while at the same time driving great efficiency, is a benefit for occupants and owners alike. Energy-efficient, well-managed facilities provide a pathway for saving money and strengthening our communities.
Through the Better Buildings Initiative, market leaders are working in partnership with the U.S. Department …
View Full ResourceThe Covid-19 pandemic appears on track to trigger an economic contraction more severe than the 2008-09 financial crisis, perhaps even worse than the Great Depression. Yet amid great uncertainty, there are known knowns: postlockdown life will be different from what came before; the specter of climate change will remain; and governments will do their best to revive floundering economies through stimulus policies. But which specific ideas can most effectively drive clean growth? BloombergNEF examines the best opportunities across the power, transport, buildings and industrial sectors.…
View Full ResourceGlobal carbon emissions must be halved by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5°C and avoid catastrophic climate impacts. Most existing studies, however, examine 2050 as the year that deep decarbonization of electric power systems can be achieved—a timeline that would also hinder decarbonization of the buildings, industrial, and transportation sectors.
In light of recent trends, these studies present overly conservative estimates of decarbonization potential. Plummeting costs for wind and solar energy have dramatically changed the prospects for rapid, cost-effective expansion of renewable energy. At the same time, battery energy storage has become a viable option for costeffectively integrating high levels …
View Full ResourceThe Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) has partnered with the Retail Industry Leaders Association, Atlas Public Policy, and David Gardiner and Associates (DGA) to assess the market and current barriers for electric trucks and charging infrastructure within the retail sector. This joint initiative assesses the market landscape, challenges, and opportunities for electric truck and passenger charging infrastructure adoption among retailers and their transportation partners.
In this phase, the project team interviewed utilities, charging station service providers, and non-profits to investigate whom retailers should be engaging as they design, install, and operate fleet and passenger vehicle charging infrastructure at …
View Full ResourceEnergy-as-a-Service (EaaS) is a private business model that enables consumers to subscribe to an energy service (such as lighting), rather than purchasing the equipment necessary to provide that service (such as light fixtures). In the past, EaaS has helped encourage the deployment of low-carbon technologies like energy efficient equipment by eliminating high upfront costs for consumers. In this paper, we assess how the EaaS model can be used to help overcome barriers for electrification of energy end-uses like vehicles and water heaters, which is critical for reducing carbon emissions from transportation and buildings. We explore the potential of two basic …
View Full ResourceGovernor Brown’s Executive Order 20-04 — the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP) — is an extensive, sector by sector approach for our state to transition transportation, businesses, and buildings to lower pollution over time with clean, renewable options, which will improve health, save money, and create jobs.…
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